Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Youth and Sports (MBS) will continue to strengthen the development of national athletes through high-performance preparations implemented in stages covering three main phases starting this January until the organisation of the 2027 SEA Games scheduled for September next year. Minister of Youth and Sports Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari said the first phase focuses on the selection and identification of potential athletes as well as the provision of training support according to performance needs.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the second phase emphasises empowerment and performance improvement through high-intensity training before entering the third phase which involves intensive full-time training to ensure optimum readiness. Dr Mohammed Taufiq shared these details during the question and answer session at Dewan Rakyat, in response to a query by Jimmy Puah Wee Tse (PH-Tebrau) about KBS's plans to enhance the performance and achievements of national athletes, especially at major events such as the Olympic Games.
Dr Mohammed Taufiq highlighted that the achievements of the Malaysian contingent at last year's SEA Games, which saw the collection of 231 medals, exceeding the original target of 200 medals, provided a solid foundation for formulating a more effective athlete development strategy. Apart from the physical training aspect, he stated that KBS also placed emphasis on the mental well-being of athletes as an important element in building continuous performance.
He explained that national athletes were also equipped with a mental empowerment programme to ensure that they remained focused, disciplined, and had a high fighting spirit when competing. "In this regard, KBS has established a collaboration with the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) to ensure that these athletes fight hard to bring honour to the country and make the country and Malaysians proud," he added.
Responding to Puah's supplementary question regarding the position of Malaysia's e-sports industry compared to other countries, Dr Mohammed Taufiq remarked on the continued growth of the country's e-sports industry, which positions Malaysia as a new force in the Southeast Asian sports landscape. He cited the Games Market Report Malaysia 2024, which projects the overall video game market in Malaysia to grow by 5.7 per cent in 2024, with a revenue value reaching USD 712 million and expected to increase to USD 824 million by 2028. Additionally, KBS will continue to strengthen the Rakan Muda programme to produce potential youth through involvement in e-sports.